The Republic of Gabon is largely rainforest. It is part of a
forest that covers a large area of Central Africa, and because of its dense
canopy and variety of its plant life, it is considered one the world’s most
precious ecosystems.

Nowadays, an unlikely mix of locals and foreigners coexist
in this forest, often with great tension. There are Gabonese villagers and
indigenous Pygmies, migrant workers from neighboring countries, European
technicians working in extracting industries, Chinese laborers, drug tourists,
and a motley crew of conservationists, scientists, activists that come together
in resource rich regions of the developing world.

This forest is crisscrossed by logging roads that cut deep
into the interior. The dust created in the wake of passing trucks, which cart
enormous trees to the port, covers everything in sight. The rainforest turns
deep red as the trucks leave behind clouds of dust. This dust settles on
plants, smothering them and transforming their natural greens with an
industrial concoction of red glow. The foliage flanking these roads becomes a
witness to this exploitation.

Republic
of Dust is a series of portraits of foreigners and locals who
coexist in this threatened environment: a microcosm of global trade and its ruinous
effects. Also, running through this series and anchoring its various layers of record
and meaning are two related series of dust images. One series of dust images
are made in the immediate aftermath of a passing logging truck. The immense
cloud of dust this common event unleashes looks similar to an act of terror.
The second series are photographs made of the dense rain forest, which the logging
roads crisscross. Made with an 8x10 inch camera and printed large scale, these
detailed images describe what was once a lush, green, majestic forest - now
covered with layer upon layer of dust. In these images the dust becomes a
constant presence, insidious reminder, and symbol of our destructive relationship
with nature.